High gloss grain has been around for a few years now, but the chattering classes are now talking about high gloss wood hues as the next big thing.
Luxury kitchen brand ALNO has come up with an interesting design incorporating handleless units, glass fronts framed in aluminium with a rosewood and olive grain print on the back.
A clean contemporary look for sure. Prices start from £15,000 ($30,000) for a basic kitchen excluding installation and appliances.
Sharp and angular kitchen surfaces are yesterday’s news. What you really need are curves and lots of them.
For one they offer less of a target to catch yourself on! I have lost count of the number of times my groin has been the victim of a sharp edged kitchen work surface…
Something like this fits the bill.
Exposed right angles removed and this little number comes alive as a safe contemporary kitchen. Plus it just looks plain nice!
Choosing a strong and lasting floor surface can be a little tricky.
Laminate can scuff and dent, solid wood can stain and requires regular treatment - but what about timber effect porcelain tiles. Here are the plus points:
1. Easy to maintain
2. Easy to lay
3. Hardwearing
4. Reasonably priced at £54 per square metre
The only negative I can spot is that some types of timber effect porcelain tiles don’t necessarily look that realistic. However, most of the ranges I have seen, look pretty good in my view.
Getting kitchen fitting quotes can be difficult and time consuming. A new web site called Quotatis tries to simplify the process for you.
It does this by taking the details of your proposed job and matching it up with tradespeople in your area. All potential leads are monitored for ongoing good references.
With any luck, this type of service will spell the end of pointless meetings with unsuitable companies.
We’ve looked at a few ways to add value to your home:
Oak flooring
Copper bath tub
Loft / attic conversions
Converting your garage
Some of these can have a big influence, other’s have a smaller cumulative effect on value.
Something we recently spotted that might add to a cumulative wow factor is kitchen drawer lighting.
These clever little illumination devices switch on when the drawer opens. They can fit a drawer between 600mm and 1m wide and cost £78 ($156).
